Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Jagmohan Lai
Vera Baba Jaimal Singh, via BE AS,
Visit. Amritsar, E. Punjab (India)
April, 1955
Huzur Maharaj Baba Sawan Singh Ji
INTRO D UCTION
PART I
so direct their disciples that they may make the same de¬
monstration and reach the same results. It is therefore
an exact science. It has been called by one Great Saint,
“ The science of connecting the soul with its CreatorThe
gist of this science, and the substance of the Sar Bachan,
may be stated as follows.
1. Mankind is hopelessly entangled in the meshes
of mind and matter. The individual cannot disentangle
himself and effect his escape. He can only struggle,
and the struggle generally leaves him worse off than he
was before. No method of religious ceremony, study,
ritual, pilgrimage or prayers, can extricate him. Not
even good works of charity can save him. Nothing
he can do in and of himself can save him. Moreover,
he should remember even God Himself cannot save him,
if he depends upon God to do it by direct intervention
God has a very definite method of accomplishing His
work. The divine and natural method admits of no
substitute. This helpless and destitute condition of the
individual soul is the very first lesson to be learned. It
must be fully realized. This, then, leads us to the second
great truth, which is a natural corollary to the first,
viz.
2. The vital necessity of a living Master.
To acquire salvation, to accomplish liberation from the
wheel and from the tyranny of the five deadly enemies,
and to control the mind, every soul must find a Guru
or Master. This is the divine method. The work can be
accomplished in no other way. It is not simply a matter
of correct information. Certainly the student must gain
knowledge, but vastly more important than that, he
must have the personal and individual assistance of the
Master. The downward streams of mind and matter,
the surging currents that sweep over the human race,
SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI 17
practices, but all of them did not reach the final stage.
A good many of them stopped at the first stage, some
few at the second, and a few sddhs and devotees reached
the third stage. Saints alone reached the fifth stage, Sat
Nam; and only a few among them reached the eighth
stage, i.e., Radha Swami Dhdm. It was from this place
that the surat (soul) descended originally. During its
downward journey, however, it seemed as if the soul
had descended from the intermediate stages, such as
Sat Lok, etc., and they who did not reach even this stage
and finished their upward journey in the lower planes
felt as if the soul had originally descended from those
lower regions. As they were not instructed by a Perfect
Guru, they naturally looked upon those lower stages as
the source of the Surat (soul); and likewise they regard¬
ed the Lord of those regions as the Lord and Creator
of all creation. They thus taught their disciples to wor¬
ship the lord of those regions and to believe in him as
the Supreme Being.
way the devotee can reach his goal and also know all
about the conditions prevailing in the various stages.
If he does not get the knowledge and proper under¬
standing (of these mysteries), the disciple will neither be
able to develop true love for the Holy Feet of the Lord
nor will he be able to make steady progress. He will not
have strength enough to reach the final goal, and will
very likely be deceived at some place or other on the way
and stop there.
51. As for the incarnations and gods thcmsleves
not being the Supreme Power, it is sufficient to say that
they first appeared in the world after the evolution of
creation, during the second and third yugas (ages).
They were not known during Sal Tuga, the first great
cycle. It may then be asked, who was worshiped and
through whom did the people reach the Supreme
Region during that cycle? The worship of Hiranya-
garbha, also known as Pranava or Onkdr, was prevalent
then. This fact is mentioned in the Vedas and Upanishads.
Why, then, did people give up His worship and start
worshiping images and sacred places. What holy place
was worshiped during the time of Bhaglrath, before the
Ganges appeared? In short, all these new forms of
worship which are in vogue today had their origin in
the second, third and fourth yugas. The real worship
is that of the Supreme Lord, and this—according to the
Saints—can be performed by all. The worship of
incarnations and prophets began in those countries in
which they wre born. They are not generally known
or worshiped in other countries.
52. That the incarnations and prophets in their
own time, declared the deity of the region from which
they came as the Supreme Being, described themselves
as their messenger or their beloved, and encouraged
54 SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI
and more in this world. But when the same Par Brahm
Parmdtma, in the form of Sat Guru, instructs souls, He is
able to deliver them from the bondage of this world.
Alas, men are so blind that they will not take to this
form of the Lord! The Supreme Being has ordained
that He will meet only him who comes to Him through
the Sat Guru, and without the Guru, no one may enter
His Court. Someone might ask why the people do not
believe in the w'ords of the Saints. The reason is that
they have neither fear of the Lord nor eagerness to see
Him. He who entertains fear of the Lord will also be
fired with zeal to meet Him. Fear comes first.
32. The gurus of today accept disciples; but,
instead of asking them to love their guru, they encourage
pilgrimage and idol worship. But what can they do?
If they themselves had practised Gurbhakti, then they
would ask their disciples also to do the same. Such
gurus are not fit to be called Gurus.
33. He who longs to attain Parmarth (Spiritual
Uplift) and has fear of Chaurasi (Transmigration), should
first of all take to a perfect Guru. The Antahkaran (mind)
will not be purified without love for the Guru', neither
will Nam benefit until the Antahkaran is purified. A
farmer first ploughs and prepares the land, and then
sows the seed. Seed sown in unprepared soil yields
nothing. The soil of the heart is prepared by devotion
to Guru. Without love for Guru, Nam will be of no avail.
But people nowadays recite Nam at home without
having recourse to a Guru. Such people fail to get either.
They will get neither the Guru nor the Nam, for Nam is
in the hands of the Guru. When love for Guru has not
been cultivated, how can Nam be obtained?
34. All the gods, from Brahma downward, and all
the incarnations, from Rama and Krishna onward, rank
SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI 81
•These instructions arc meant Tor those who wish to devote themselves almost
entirely to the Shabd practice and do not have other worldly duties to attend to;
but when the disciple is enraptured with the divine sound, the physical needs of
the body, such as hunger, thirst, etc. are automatically reduced to a minimum.
84 SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI
with the result that they do not get at the root, and the
branches also wither. Worship of the branches was
intended to lead eventually to the root, but people have
caught hold of the branches so firmly that they cannot
be induced to let them go. In other words, misled by
the priesthood, they have taken to all sorts of worship
and continue to do so. The reason is that the mind,
which is the agent of Kal, being always with the soul, is
helpful when anyone expounds the religions of Kal,
for the domain of Kal is not crossed; but when Saints
proclaim the way of Dayal (The Merciful), this re¬
presentative of Kal, the mind, misleads him and does
not let him have faith in the words of the Saints.
76. The roots of desire should be cut, for when
the desires which one entertains are not fulfilled, he
feels very miserable. You should depend upon His
Mauj in whatever you do and not on yourself. But
the subtlety of these words should be grasped, other¬
wise one may get lax in effort. This utter reliance on
His Mauj will be fully attained only when you see the
Lord face to face. Without the Vision, this complete
surrender is not possible. This is the condition of the
Saints, Who recognize the Lord as the Instigator or
Mover in everyone. Sainst indeed enjoy the show
of this world as nobody else can.
77. To all who believe in Guru Nanak or any
other Saint and who sincerely follow their teachings
the (living) Sat Guru knowing them to be followers of
Guru Nanak or another Saint says that, they should look
upon Guru Nanak or whatever Saint they follow as their
Father, and act faithfully upon His teachings.
It is the duty of the father to bring up his child
ren. The father brings up his daughter and tenderly
cares for her in all respects, but when he wishes that
90 SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI
brought back to life and the broken straw of his life will
also be made whole. The men of the world are like the
dead. Only those who love a living Sat Guru are really
alive, and their broken straws have been mended.
80. The Murid (Disciple) should be as Murdd
(dead). He should act as ordered by the Guru, and not
interpose his own reason. So long as this attitude is not
developed, he cannot regard himself as Murdd (dead),
but as fully alive to the world. He should, however,
continue his efforts and act on the words of the Sat
Guru—that is, go on with Satsang and Bhajan and Satguru
Seva, and keep on increasing his love and Faith in His
Feet. One day he would become Murid (disciple, dead
to the world).
81. If anyone were to ask a Satsangi (follower of a
Saint) how he came to believe in the Saints, and how lie
realized that his Guru was a perfect one, his reply would
be that it was the result of past associations, and not on
account of any spiritual exercises he had performed.
He would say that the message was believed as soon as
heard and that his attraction was as spontaneous as
that of a moth for the light or of a Chakor (moon bird)
for the moon.
82. Maya, which holds the whole world in its
grip, is under the control of the Saints only. If anyone
desires to be free from Maya, he should associate with
Saints and cheerfully submit to any reproof or slander or
praise which may come as a consequence. Only then
can he be a true Sadh. But one who has no endurance at
all; that is, stays on happily while pleasant things arc
said, but prepares to pack up and leave when rebuked
for his own benefit and correction, will never become
a Sadh. He will be a Sadh only when he is willing to
endure all things.
92 SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI
bead in the rosary. When you hold the SumSr, all the
other beads are in your control; and if you take the
thread out of it, all the beads are scattered. In the same
way, those who have the grace of the Sat Guru upon them
have cut at the root of Ahankdr and, turning away from
all the pleasures of the world, hold.fast to the Sat Guru of
the time. Blessed are such! Those who have not
achieved this are only beasts in human garb. These
words are meant, however, for Satsangts only. The
worldly people, instead of accepting them, would be
ready to pick quarrels.
89. It is useless to comment upon the condition
of the worldly people. And what can be said to them
when even among Swdmis (religious teachers) and their
disciples only some or few will be found to be without
greed? This is worth remembering so that one may be
testing his own state of mind from time to time.
90. The dirt of Homen (Egotism) must be re¬
moved by service of Sat Guru and by devotion of S/iabd.
Only then will the Lord be pleased with you. In short,
one must replace vanity by humility. The grace of
the Lord is upon the humble. Only when you are humble
does the grace flow from Him, and then you succeed.
It is, however, not so easy to cultivate humility.
91. If a person should perform any ritual or
worship according to the instructions of his own Sat Guru,
he would derive some benefit, but if he should perform
any of the Vedic or Purdnic rites or ceremonies under the
instigation of priests, he would stand to lose.
92. The worship of the Guru is in a way the wor¬
ship of the Lord Himself, because the Lord has said that
He will accept the worship of him only who approaches
Him through the Guru, but will not reveal Himself to
those who seek Him through other forms of worship.
SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI 95
notice of the fact that they (those who live such a life)
attend Satsang every day for four to six hours, do their
Bhajan too as much as they can, do not sleep their fill
and live only upon Chamdmrit and Parshddi (blessed
food). What a great good fortune this is! Worldly
people eat and sleep to their heart’s content and do not
even know what Pamdrlh is.
126. Some there be who may be forgetful only
when far away, but the moment they come in the presence
of the Sat Guru their minds become tranquil—even as a
honey bee which keeps on flying here and there, but
when it finds honey, clings to it and will not leave it.
It is such as these whose love bears fruit. Of course
there are numerous others who come and go away.
They also benefit, but much less.
127. Satsangis should love one another. If there
is envy, they will not be able to enjoy the Satsang. The
bliss of Satsang and Bhajan will be experienced only
when there is mutual love.
128. The anger of Saints is full of beneficence,
while the anger of the worldly minded is destructive.
But the worldly people cannot distinguish between
the two. They think Saints are subject to anger and
do not realize that there is love in the (apparent) anger
of the Saints, while there is a trap even in the kindness
of the ignorant.
129. The Lord Himself is present in both,
friend and foe, and we should not, therefore, mind
either the friendship of friends or the enmity of enemies.
The Lord is the Mover in both cases. But this cannot
be the view of everyone. Only those who have realized
the Lord within themselves take this view. And you,
who hear the holy discourses, should try to imbue
yourself with this idea so that no ill will may enter
104 SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAM!
will give rise to the Bhakti of the true Lord. The Bhakli
of the true Lord will never develop until one comes
across a living Sat Guru and has faith in him.
189. Nowadays, Sadhs, Brahmans and Kshatriyas
have become conceited. Neither do the Sadhs possess the
qualifications of a Sadh, nor the Brahmans the attributes
of a Brahman, nor do the Kshatriyas exercise sovereignty
any longer or possess strength and power. They only
boast. The Vaishyas and Shudras still follow their rule of
life to some extent.
Saints advise the people to go to Sadhs; but when
true Sadhs are difficult to find, what shall be done?
Without the company of Saints and Sadhs, salvation is
not possible. It should be understood that one cannot
meet a Saint or Sadh unless he has Sanskdr. One with
great good fortune will surely meet a Sant Sat Guru or Sadh.
If one were to say that a Sanskarl (one with pre¬
vious impressions) does not need the company of Saints,
that would be wrong. Whether with Sanskars or not,
both need Sadhsang (association with or company of
Sadhs). The only difference would be that a Sanskarl
would be affected by the Bachans (sayings) very soon and
would easily accept them, while one without Sanskars
will not be able to readily accept the Bachan (word of the
Master) nor to act upon it so well. The seed will,
however, be sown in him and he will practise later on.
He is called Sanskarl who, in his past lives, has been
meeting and putting faith in the Sat Guru and Sadhs,
and whose Bhag (destiny) is being gradually improved
through the grace of the Sat Guru. By the grace of Sant
Sat Guru, Asanskarl (one without Sanskar) can also be
made Sanskarl.
Such is the greatness of the Sant Sat Guru, that those
who have His Darshan receive some spiritual uplift and
130 SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI
and devise all sorts of plans and even ask for help to
secure their object. Imagine what a miserable plight
this is! In order to enjoy the sensual pleasures which
they say are mere refuse of crows, they descend to the
lowest rung of the ladder, after which lies the road to
transmigration.
It is therefore emphasized, out of mercy, that those
who wish for the redemption of their soul should avoid
merely learned Gydnis and should, somehow, seek the
Sat Guru and take refuge in His Holy Feet. Then only
will they achieve their object. No other form of devotion
will ever lead to emancipation. Pundits and Bhikhs can¬
not save us. It is proper to feed priests and bhikhs, and
to give them what you can, but it is essential that both,
mind and body, should be offered at the Holy Feet of
the Sat Guru. However, this will appeal only to such
as arc anxious to meet the Lord, and they alone will
act upon it. The Bhikhs, the Pundits zand the worldly
people will not like these words.
195. Learned and clever persons are not fit for
the society of a Sat Guru, because they are filled with
conceit and will not believe in the Sant Sat Guru. Saints
give out what They have seen, but these ignorant persons
depend on what they hear or read, and wish to prove
things by the force of intellect. Their minds are egotistic
and wavering and full of cravings for pleasures and do
not follow the practice prescribed, but look for miracles.
It is not, however, the Mauj of the Saints to show mira¬
cles, for the love based upon miracles is not reliable.
Miracles are shown only to true seekers who have de¬
veloped faith in and love for the Saints as Redeemers of
their souls. Such disciples always see miracles. But
those who are not sincere in their desire for Parmarth, and
are really anxious to gain worldly enjoyment, and name
134 SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI
and pins his faith upon them will not succeed nor
escape Chaurasi. All Jivas (people) should, therefore,
heed the commands of the Saints.
And the Saints have prescribed the following
Karam and Upasna:—Satsang, S6va and Darshan of the
Sat Guru; recitation of the writings of the Saints and
hearing of the same; and the Simran or Repetition of Nam
given by Them; this is the Karam (the ritual for this
age). Love for the human form of Sat Guru and medi¬
tation upon It; and hearing Shabd internally, with Sural
(rapt attention), that is Upasna (worship for this age).
(Gyan is the Fruit).
213. Brahmans and Kshatriyas have given up
their mode of life and Dharmas (duties), but not their
pride. The rituals of past ages they cannot perform
according to prescribed modes; and what their teachers
prescribe for Kali Tuga, they do not perform and so
remain unfortunate. They arc helpless because in
this age Parmarth (religion) is subordinate to live¬
lihood; whereas formerly livelihood was subordinate to
Parmarth.
But now the Saints who have appeared in Kali
Tuga have invented such a technique that by following
it a Brahman may become a true Brahman, and a
Kshatriya a true Kshatriya, but, owing to their conceit,
they don’t believe in the words of the Saints. On the
other hand, they revile them. The reason is that these
people are not eager to get out of this world; a filth
worm is always happy in filth. Hence the worldly
people feel offended at the words of the Saints, but
the Saints nevertheless point things out for their good.
214. The Lord is within us but the ignorant Jiva
is always seeking Him outside. Residents of Kanshi
and Praydg go to Ajudhiyd and Bindraban to find the
142 SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI
way, the spirit will weep when Kal comes to fetch her,
but no one will be able to help her. He will take her
by a narrow path, less than a hair in width and on
which even an ant is not able to crawl. While traversing
this path, souls are cut into pieces and fall down into
pits of filth. No words can describe their suffering.
For this reason the Saints, out of mercy, repeatedly
explain to the people that the way is finer than a
hair and, if you fear it, you should try to realize your¬
self. And no one except a perfect Sat Guru has the
remedy. When the Jiva takes refuge in the Sat Guru,
He will make him do what He thinks necessary.
Avoiding such a dangerous path, He will take him in
His lap and carry him to the Nij Asthan (Real Region),
where there is eternal bliss. This is the only way.
228. It is true that Nam is not easy to obtain,
but it is easy to submit ourselves to Him who has It.
It has always been the case, that all do not receive
Nam, but they have enjoyed the protection (of the
Saints). This protection is a source of great happiness.
Even the Saints missed this stratagem, for They
assumed power Themselves. It is the Jivas who have
been able to make use of this stratagem.
229. If any one tries to find out the Sat Guru
by applying the tests given in the Scriptures, he will
not succeed. But if he associates with Him for some
time, then he will know him. There is no other way
to recognize Him.
230. If the Jiva does not realize that Atm
Tattwa (Soul) which is the one reality in the human
body, but wastes it in the enjoyment of sensual
pleasures, he is but an animal in human form, leading
the life of an animal. But this is not possible without
a perfect Sat Guru.
148 SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMT
i
SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI 159
Ar. Arabic
S. Sanskrit
H. Hindi
P. Persian
Pb. Punjabi
C
Ghaitanya S Same as Chetan.
Chaitanya S Conscious life force.
Prana or
Chetan Prana
ChakOr H Moon bird. A bird of the pheasant species,
which is enamored of the full moon and goes
on contemplating it as long as the moon
shines. It would strain its neck backwards
till it almost touches the ground, but would
not change its position from the time the
moon appears in the east till it sinks in the
west, lest the moon should disappear.
Chandrayana HS Fast, extending over one lunar period.
Charan Amrit HS Literally, Nectar of the Holy Feet; csotcri-
or Charnamrit cally, it is the Divine Elixir received within.
Chaurasi H Literally means eighty-four; hence, “The
wheel of Eighty-Four”; the name indicates
the eight million four hundred thousand
species into which the soul may have to incar¬
nate and which is called eighty-four lakhs
species; whirlpool or wheel of transmigration.
Chetan H Conscious; awakened; spirit; conscious living
as opposed to ‘jar’ (inert or inanimate);
reason; soul; self; intelligence; wisdom.
Same as chaitanya.
180 SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI
D
Dadu or Dadoo A Saint of Rajputana, well known for his
bold utterances in his beautiful poetry. He
lived in the sixteenth century.
Dhdm HS Abode; region; home.
Dama S Self-restraint.
Darshan HS The vision or sight, particularly of some
Saint or holy person.
Darshanas S The six well-known schools of Hindu Philo¬
sophy, Vedanta Shastra and Yoga Shastra
being the most important and well-known of
them.
Daswan Dwar or H The tenth aperture; appellation of the third
Daswandwar Spiritual Region. The second Region,
Trikuti, is said to have an inner citadel or
‘garh’, having nine open gates. The tenth
gate, which leads to the third Region, is
closed; hence, the Third Region itself is
called Daswan Dwdr. In fact both Sunn
and Maha Sunn arc referred to as Daswan
Dwar—Sunn being the Region itself and
Maha Sunn being the great vacuum between
Daswan Dwdr and Bhanwar Gupha.
Dayd H Mercy; Grace.
Daydl H Merciful; Kind.
Ddsh HS Region; country; territory; realm.
Ddvtas SH Literally, “shining ones”; personifications of
the forces of Nature; gods.
Dhanl H Rich; wealthy; owner; esoterically, Lord of
various inner Spiritual Regions.
Dharamsalas H Hindu and Sikh Temples; free guest houses
endowed by religious bodies.
Dharma SH Duty, religious or moral.
SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI 181
Khat H Six.
Khat Chakras HS Six centers or ganglia.
Khat Darshan H The six schools of Hindu Philosophy.
Khat Sampatti PI The six types of riches; that is, moral and
spiritual wealth: Sama (balance, equani¬
mity); Dama (self-restraint); Uparti (free¬
dom from ceremonial worship); Titfksha
(patience); Shraddha (faith); Samddhdntd
(deep meditation).
Khuda Ar God; also an appellation of Brahm.
Khuda-i-Azeem Ar The Great God; synonymous with Brahm,
the Lord of Trikuti.
Kirya, or SH Literally, action; a Hindu ceremony per¬
Kriya formed on the thirteenth day after a person’s
death.
Kotwal P Police officer; or market officer.
Krishna S Lord Krishna, held to be a complete incar¬
nation of God (Brahm). He delivered the
celebrated Song of the Lord, called the
Bhagavadgita. See Shyam Sunder.
Kriyaman S Actions performed during the present life.
KrOdh S Anger.
Kshatriyas S The second in rank in the Hindu Society,
which caste consisted of fighters and rulers.
Q.
Qutb Ar A title among Faqeers; one entrusted with
the welfare of spiritual aspirants among
Faqeers.
Qurdn, or Ar The Holy Book of the Moslems, revealed to
Kordn the Prophet Mohammed.
Saraogis H Jains.
Sar Guna H Essential quality.
Sargun S With attributes, as opposed to Nirgun which
means without attributes.
Sarmad Ar Muslim Saint who was executed as a heretic
by the orders of Aurangzeb, the Mogul King
of Delhi. He inculcated the hearing of
Saut-i-Sarmadi (Eternal Sound) within and
giving up all other forms of worship.
Sar Shabd, or H Literally, Essential Sound; True Word;
Sar Shabda Real Word.
Sat S Trut or Truth; Existence; Permanent; Abiding.
Sat Chit Anand S Existence—consciousness—bliss.
Satguru Bhakti H Devotion to the Sat Guru.
Satguru Bhao H Love for the Sat Guru.
Sat Guru, or HA mater or Spiritual Teacher who has
Satgur access to or came down from the Fifth Region.
Sat Lok, or HS (See Sach Khand).
Sat Loka
Sat Ndm H Literally, True Name; the appellation of the
Lord of the fifth Spiritual Region.
Sato-Guna, or S Rhythm; harmony.
Satogun.
Sat Pad S Same as Sach Khand.
Sat Purush, S God; True Lord who presided over Sat Loka
Sat Purush and the whole of the Universe below it. He
or Sat Purkh Pb is also called Akal Purush. According to
Saints, the real form of the Lord God is indes¬
cribable in mortal language. It is therefore
untold. As in the body, soul works through
the mind, the Swami works through Sat
Purush who controls the whole of the Uni¬
verse (material and spiritual) through His
Word (Shabd), Name (Nam) or Command
(Hukm); the exponent of His Word and
Name being Sat Guru who is His Prime
Minister, so to say, in order to carry out His
Commands throughout the Universe.
The Spiritual or Shabd form of the Sat
Guru being ubiquitous, works in the various
196 SAR BACHAN RADHA SWAMI
31. St. John, The Great Mystic—By Maharaj Charan Singh Ji.
32. With the Three Masters Vol. I, II & III—F rom the Diary
of Rai Sahib Munshi Ram.
33. Ringing Radiance—By Sir Colin Garbett, K.C.I.E., C.S.I.,
C.M.G., D.Sc. J., M.A., LL.B. F.R.C.S., F.R.S.A.